This summer, 22 students who participated in the Boulder Solar Alliance Research Experience for Undergraduates (BSA REU) program had the extraordinary opportunity to dive into the world of professional scientific research. The BSA REU program offers students from a wide range of backgrounds the time, funding, and space to collaborate with scientists and graduate students on hands-on scientific research. The National Science Foundation-funded program, established in 2007, is managed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, in collaboration with seven other Front Range solar science institutes.
In June, students from across the U.S. and abroad relocated to Boulder to begin the program with Boot Camp, an intensive first week featuring lessons on solar physics, space physics, and programming. In the following weeks, students began their individual research projects under the guidance of mentors and co-mentors, contributing to significant scientific inquiries and advancing our understanding of key research questions. Each week, the REU students also attended professional development sessions hosted by the program that covered various topics, such as Applying to Grad School, Elevator Pitches, Space Science Policy, and a career panel.
During the final week, the BSA REU hosted a symposium featuring 20-minute oral presentations and a poster session, inviting the regional scientific community to engage with the students’ research. Additionally, the program provided students the opportunity to compete for funding to attend a national conference by submitting an abstract.
This summer saw an abundant crop of innovative student research projects, which are highlighted below, grouped by research area.
Probing the Mysteries of Mars and Venus
Spencer Biske is using data from NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution) mission to study the regular patterns in the thermosphere and ionosphere, which are parts of Earth’s upper atmosphere. He’s investigating how the main atmospheric waves change at different heights and how these waves move upwards in the atmosphere and change with the seasons.
Alexandros Cooke-Politikoshas is also using data from the MAVEN mission, to look at hot-flow anomaly events in the solar wind. These events can speed up heavy ions from planets and contribute to the loss of Mars’s atmosphere. He is collecting these events and making a database, having found 61 events so far.
Simon Correra is exploring how sulfur and chlorine chemistry affect the dynamics and escape of hydrogen isotopes on Venus. By using a photochemical model for Venus, he is incorporating new species to improve the representation of its atmosphere and investigating the impact of chlorine and sulfur on the escape of hydrogen and deuterium from Venus. This study aims to enhance our understanding of water loss processes and the evolutionary history of Venus.
Ben Goldman is developing a machine learning model to analyze 10 years of magnetic field data from the MAVEN orbiter. He is using a decision tree model to reorganize the orbital measurements. This algorithm can simulate the structure of Mars’s magnetosphere under different solar conditions, showing how it would respond to a solar storm.
Unraveling the Secrets of Solar Dynamics
Sumner Cotton is using helioseismology to study the interior of the sun. Helioseismology leverages acoustic oscillations observed at the solar surface to study subsurface flows. Sumner is using Doppler velocity data from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and the ring-diagram technique to analyze zonal and meridional flows as functions of latitude and depth over solar cycles 23 through 25. After implementing corrections for systematic variations due to the sun’s inclination angle and geometric distortion effects, the study compares flow velocities across different solar cycles, reaching approximately 5 percent of the solar radius from the surface.
Eric Dunnington is analyzing high-resolution spectra from NSF’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope’s ViSP instrument, which are used to study magnetic fields and plasma velocities in the solar chromosphere overactive regions. Eric is analyzing the Ca II 854.2 nm spectral range, along with Na I 5895 Å (sodium) and Fe I 6301 and 6302 Å (iron), revealing complex dynamics and high-velocity flows, which may result from magnetic interactions. His research aims to improve our understanding of chromospheric heating and its impact on solar weather.
Ainsley Helgerson analyzing short-term solar activity bursts within the sun’s 11-year cycle to find patterns in their periods and amplitudes. Using data from SILSO Sunspot Numbers, her research reveals a moderate inverse correlation between burst duration and the amplitude of subsequent bursts, suggesting that shorter bursts are followed by stronger ones. She also finds strong autocorrelation, indicating that solar activity has a “short-term memory” of one to two years.
Phoebe Mahlin is creating a historical reconstruction by simulating surface flux transport using the Advective Flux Transport Model. Although magnetic data has only been available since the 1980’s, she is using additional data from different observatories and converting white light images into magnetic data based on sunspot tilt. Her model will simulate the magnetic evolution of the sun since 1904, including determining the polarity of active regions.
Emma Porter is using state-of-the-art global coronal models to study the solar corona’s emission during the April 8t, 2024, total solar eclipse. Emma is validating spectropolarimetric methods to gain detailed insights into the corona’s density, temperature, and magnetic field. This approach aims to improve our understanding of the extremely hot and dim solar corona, which is challenging to observe directly.
Finn Rogers is working on solar imaging using a tunable optical filter developed by the High Altitude Observatory (HAO). This filter, designed to select specific wavelengths of light, aims to improve solar flare predictions by providing clearer images. His project involves using Hydrogen-α and Calcium-H filters with a telescope, sharpening the images, and comparing them to understand features like sunspot depth and shape, setting the stage for future space mission applications.
Guardians of Space Weather
Nadia Gonzales is analyzing indicators of undisturbed solar wind and plasma regions to help better understand the solar wind conditions on Mars. This will help missions like MAVEN better understand if the orbiter is in undisturbed plasma regions or the magnetosheath of the Red Planet.
Ethan Grant is creating an algorithm to sort active regions on the sun and CMEs (coronal mass ejections), which tend to form from these active regions, while also creating a catalog of events. He is testing different parameters, including time periods and size, to make sure the sorting is accurate. Ethan is sorting 10 years’ worth of MAVEN data, checking if each peak is significant enough to be classified as a CME.
Colton Koeing is comparing real-time neutral wind data from NOAA’s WAM-IPE model with observations from the NASA ICON satellite for the year 2020. This comparison helps assess the accuracy of the WAM model in simulating neutral winds, which are crucial for understanding plasma movement in the ionosphere. His project aims to evaluate seasonal and solar time variations and improve model predictions of neutral wind dynamics.
Wilson Moyer is using electric field measurements from the Van Allen Probes and ion flow data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) probes to assess magnetic field models. These models are being evaluated for their accuracy in representing Earth’s magnetosphere by comparing them with observations of Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS). Wilson’s research aims to improve our understanding of Earth’s magnetospheric dynamics and enhance magnetic field models.
Innovators in Eclipse and Instrumentation
Elizabeth Hamilton and Mateo Vasquez are developing visualizations for stellar occultations using the American Museum of Natural History’s OpenSpace planetarium software, in collaboration with the renowned Fiske Planetarium at CU Boulder. Their project involves creating accurate simulations of occultations of asteroids from the NASA Lucy Mission. This work aims to enhance public education and engagement with occultations and planetary science through interactive and accessible visuals.
Caleb Johnson is focused on hardware testing for the DYNAGLO CubeSat mission as part of his REU project. His research involves using Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio testing to ensure reliable communication for future CubeSats. Caleb’s work aims to determine the minimum power levels needed for 95 percent of commands to be successfully received by a CubeSat. This project also provides hands-on experience with lab safety, hardware, satellite communications, and professional skills.
Aiza Kenzhebekova is studying the sun’s corona, which is much hotter than the sun’s surface, by analyzing data from the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Using measurements from instruments like GONG, CHASE, and a Celestron C-8 telescope, she is processing and aligning images in the Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) line to investigate coronal heating and the sun’s structure. Her research aims to improve our understanding of these phenomena and the conditions during the eclipse.
Ellianna Nestlerode is developing an algorithm to classify and sort each image collected by the Citizen CATE 2024 project, which collected over 2 terabytes of images during the 2024 total solar eclipse. The algorithm will classify images based on sharpness, sun centrality, exposure levels, and image noise. This process helps ensure the quality of the eclipse observations, and helps the project further study the polarization of the sun’s corona.
Julia Zamora is using balloon-launched aerial survey technologies to study radiation in the upper atmosphere. She is focusing on fluid dynamics and studying relativistic electron precipitation from Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. Her work includes aerodynamics and MATLAB modeling in AID, as well as designing intuitive aircraft systems.
Explorers of Planetary Magnetospheres and Atmospheres
Sophia Marrone is researching variations in the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly using NASA’s GOLD data involves analyzing plasma density on either side of geomagnetic data that affects radio transmission, particularly at night. This includes examining GPS signals and how latitude differences change with each season, including equinoxes and solstices. To conduct this study, Sophia is using IDL, a programming language used for data analysis.
Emily Simpson is using numerical simulations, as well as data from Jupiter’s Galileo and Juno missions to study how Jupiter’s magnetospheric plasma interacts with Europa’s atmosphere. The process involves inputting data, running simulations, and interpolating the fly-by trajectory to constrain atmospheric properties and match the data to various parameters.
By Gabriel Moraga, BSA REU Coordinator
Founded a decade before NASA, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is on a mission to revolutionize human understanding of the cosmos by pioneering new technologies and approaches to space science. The institute is at the forefront of solar, planetary, and space physics research, climate and space-weather monitoring, and the search for evidence of habitable worlds. LASP is also deeply committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of space explorers. From the first exploratory rocket measurements of Earth’s upper atmosphere to trailblazing observations of every planet in the solar system, LASP continues to build on its remarkable history with a nearly $1 billion portfolio of new research and engineering programs, backed by superb data analysis, reliable mission operations, and skilled administrative support.
